weighty objections that lie against it. Opinion is a more steady and fixed assent, when a man is almost certain, though yet some fear of the contrary remains with him. Belief is a more full and assured assent to the truth. See BELIEF.

ASSURANCE is the firm persuasion we have of the certainty of any thing, or a certain expectation of something future.

Assurance of the Understanding is a well-grounded knowledge of divine things founded on God's word. Col. ii. 2. -Assurance of Faith does not relate to our personal interest in Christ, but consists in a firm belief of the revelation that God has given us of Christ in his word, with an entire dependence on him. Heb. x. 22.-Assurance of Hope is a firm expectation that God will grant us the complete enjoyment of what he has promised. Heb. vi. 11.

The doctrine of assurance, i. e. the belief that we have an interest in the divine favour, has afforded matter for dispute among divines. Some have asserted that it is not to be obtained in the present state, allowing that persons may be in a hopeful way to salvation, but that they have no real or absolute assurance of it: but this is clearly refuted by facts as well as by Scripture. That it is to be obtained is evident, for we have reason to believe many person have actually obtained it. Job xix. 25. Ps. xvii. 15. 2 Tim. i. 12. The Scriptures exhort us to obtain it, 2 Cor. xiii. 5. Heb. vi. 11. 1 Thess. v. 21. The Holy Spirit is said to bear witness of it, Rom. viii. 16. The exercise of the Christian graces is considered as a proof of it, 1 John iii. 14. 1 John ii. 3. We must, however, guard against presumption; for a mere persuasion that Christ is ours is no proof that he is so. We must have evidence before we can have genuine assurance. It is necessary to observe also, that it is not a duty imposed upon all mankind, so that every one, in whatsoever state he may be, ought to be fully persuaded of his salvation. "We do not affirm." says Saurin, "that Christians of whose sincerity there may be some doubt have a right to assurance; that backsliders, as such, ought to persuade themselves that they shall be saved; nor do we say that Christians who have arrived to the highest degree of holiness, can be persuaded of the certainty of their salvation in every period of their lives; nor, if left to their own efforts can they enjoy it; but believers, supported by the Divine aid, who walk in all good conscience before

him, these only have ground to expect this privilege.'

Some divines have maintained that assurance is included in the very essence of faith, so that a man cannot have faith without assurance; but we must distinguish between assurance and justifying faith. The apostle, indeed, speaks of the full assurance of faith; but then this is a full and firm persuasion of what the Gospel reveals; whereas the assurance we are speaking of relates to our personal interest in Christ, and is an effect of this faith, and not faith itself. Faith in Christ certainly includes some idea of assurance; for, except we be assured that he is the Saviour, we shall never go to or rely upon him as such: but faith in Christ does not imply an assurance of our interest in him; for there may be faith long before the assurance of personal interest commences. The confounding of these ideas has been the cause of presumption on the one hand, and despair on the other. When men have been taught that faith consists in believing that Christ died for them, and been assured that, if they can only believe so, all is well; and that then they are immediately pardoned and justified, the consequence has been, that the bold and self-conceited have soon wrought themselves up to such a persuasion, without any ground for it, to their own deception; whilst the dejected, humble, and poor in spirit, not being able to work themselves to such a pitch of confidence, have concluded that they have not the faith of God's elect, and must inevitably be lost.

The means to attain assurance are not those of an extraordinary kind, as some people imagine; such as visions, dreams, voices, &c.; but such as are ordinary; self-examination, humble and constant prayer, consulting the sacred oracles, Christian communication, attendance on the divine ordinances, and perseverance in the path of duty; without which all our assurance is but presumption, and our profession but 'hypocrisy.

Assurance may be lost for a season through bodily diseases which depress the spirits, unwatchfulness, falling into sin, manifold temptations, worldly cares, and neglect of private duty. He, therefore, who would wish to enjoy this privilege, let him cultivate communion with God, exercise a watchful spirit against his spiritual enemies, and give himself unreservedly to Him whose he is, and whom he professes to serve. See Saurin's Ser. vol. iii. ser. 10, Eng. edition; Case's Sermons, ser. 13; Lambert's Ser.

ASTONISHMENT, a kind or degree of wonder introduced by surprise. This emotion always relates to things of the highest importance; to things which appear too vast and extensive for the grasp of intellect, rather than to any thing of an intricate nature. The body marks in a striking manner the singular state of the mind under this emotion. The eyes are firmly fixed, without being directed to any particular object; the character of countenance, which was formed by the habitual influence of some predominant affection, is for a time effaced; and a suspension of every other expression, a certain vacuity, strongly notes this state of mind.

ATHANASIANS, those who profess the sentiments held in the Athanasian Creed. See CREED.

on John ix. 35; Hervey's Theron and || 5. Atheism contradicts itself. Under Aspasio, dialogue 17; Howe's Works, the first of these he thus argues.-"I vol. i. p. 342, 348; Brooks, Burgess, appeal to any man of reason whether Roberts, Baxter, Polhill, and Davye on any thing can be more unreasonable Assurance; Hora Sol. vol. ii. P 269. than obstinately to impute an effect to ASSURITANS, a branch of the Do- chance, which carries in the very face natists who held that the Son was infe- of it all the arguments and characters rior to the Father, and the Holy Ghost of a wise design and contrivance. Was to the Son. See DONATISTS. ever any considerable work, in which there was required a great variety of parts, and a regular and orderly disposition of those parts, done by chance? Will chance fit means to ends, and that in ten thousand instances, and not fail in any one? How often might a man, after he had jumbled a set of letters in a bag, fling them out upon the ground, before they would fall into an exact poem; yea, or so much as make a good discourse in prose? And may not a little book be as easily made by chance as the great volume of the world? How long might a man be in sprinkling colours upon canvass with a careless hand, before they would happen to make the exact picture of a man? And is a man easier made by chance than his picture? How long might twenty thousand blind men, who should be sent out from several remote parts of England, wander ATHEIST, one who denies the ex- up and down before they would all meet istence of God:-this is called specula- upon Salisbury plain, and fall into rank tive atheism. Professing to believe in and file in the exact order of an army? God, and yet acting contrary to this And, yet, this is much more easy to be belief, is called practical atheism. Ab-imagined than how the innumerable surd and irrational as atheism is, it has blind parts of matter should rendezvous had its votaries and martyrs. In the themselves into a world. A man that seventeenth century, Spinosa, a fo- sees Henry the Seventh's chapel at reigner, was its noted defender. Lucilio Westminster might with as good reason Vanini, a native of Naples, also pub- maintain (yea, with much better, conlicly taught atheism in France; and, sidering the vast difference betwixt that being convicted of it at Toulouse, was little structure and the huge fabric of condemned and executed in 1619. It the world) that it was never contrived has been questioned, however, whether or built by any means but that the any man ever seriously adopted such a stones did by chance grow into those principle. The pretensions to it have curious figures into which they seem been generally founded on pride or af to have been cut and graven; and that fectation. The open avowal of atheism upon a time (as tales usually begin) the by several of the leading members of materials of that building, the stone, the French convention seems to have mortar, timber, iron, lead, and glass, been an extraordinary moral pheno- | happily met together, and very fortumenon. This, however, as we have nately ranged themselves into that deseen, was too vague and uncomfortablelicate order in which we see them now, a principle to last long. Archbishop Til so close compacted, that it must be a lotson justly observes, that speculative very great chance that parts them again. atheism is unreasonable upon five ac- What would the world think of a man counts. 1. Because it gives no tolerable that should advance such an opinion as account of the existence of the world. this, and write a book for it? If they -2. It does not give any reasonable ac- would do him right, they ought to look count of the universal consent of man- upon him as mad; but yet with a little kind in this apprehension that there is more reason than any man can have to a God-3. It requires more evidence say, that the world was made by chance, for things than they are capable of or that the first men grew up out of the giving.-4. The atheist pretends to earth as plants do now. For, can any Know that which no man can know. thing be more ridiculous, and against

all reason, than to ascribe the production of men to the first fruitfulness of the earth, without so much as one instance and experiment, in any age or history, to countenance so monstrous a supposition? The thing is, at first sight, so gross and palpable, that no discourse about it can make it more apparent. And yet, these shameful beggars of principles give this precarious account of the original of things; assume to themselves to be the men of reason, the great wits of the world, the only cautious and wary persons that hate to be imposed upon, that must have convincing evidence for every thing, and can admit of nothing without a clear demonstration of it." See EXISTENCE OF GOD.

Some of the principal writers on the existence of a Deity have been Newton, Boyle, Cheyne, Locke, Nieuwentyt, Derham, Bentley, Ray, Cudworth, Samuel and John Clarke, Abernethy, Balguy, Baxter, Fenelon, &c. &c. Tillotson's sermon on the subject, as quoted above, has been considered as one of the best in the English language. See ser. i. vol. 1.

had a mind to make a very illustrious display both of his justice and of his grace among mankind; on these accounts he would not pardon sin without a satisfaction.-5. Man, sinful man, is not able to make any satisfaction to God for his own sins, neither by his labours, nor by his sufferings, Eph. ii. 1, 8, 9.6. Though man be incapable to satisfy for his own violation of the law, yet God would not suffer all mankind to perish. -7. Because God intended to make a full display of the terrors of his justice, and his divine resentment for the violation of his law, therefore he appointed his own Son to satisfy for the breach of it, by becoming a proper sacrifice of expiation or atonement, Gal. iii, 10, 13. -8. The Son of God being immortal, could not sustain all these penalties of the law which man had broken without taking the mortal nature of man upon him, without assuming flesh and blood, Heb. ii. 13, 14.-9. The Divine Being having received such ample satisfaction for sin by the sufferings of his own Son, can honourably forgive his creature man, who was the transgressor, Rom. iii. 25, 26. Now that this doctrine is ATONEMENT is the satisfying Di- true, will appear, if we consider, 1. vine Justice by Jesus Christ giving him- That an atonement for sin, or an efself a ransom for us, undergoing the fectual method to answer the demands penalty due to our sins, and thereby re- of an offended God, is the first great leasing us from that punishment which blessing guilty man stood in need of, God might justly inflict upon us. Rom. Mic. vi. 6, 7.—2. The very first discov. 11. The Hebrew word signifies co- veries of grace which were made to vering, and intimates that our offences man after his fall implied in them someare, by a proper atonement, covered thing of an atonement for sin, and pointfrom the avenging justice of God. In or- ed to the propitiation Christ has now der to understand the manner wherein | made. Gen. iii. 15.-3. The train of ceChrist becomes an atonement, we remonies which were appointed by God should," says Dr. Watts, "consider the in the Jewish church are plain significafollowing propositions, 1. The great God tions of such an atonement, 2 Čor. iii. having made man, appointed to govern Col. ii. 7, 8, 9. Heb. x.-4. Some of the him by a wise and righteous law, where- prophecies confirm and explain the first in glory and honour, life and immortali- promise, and show that Christ was to ty, are the designed rewards for perfect die as an atoning sacrifice for the sins obedience; but tribulation and wrath, of men, Dan ix. 24-26. Is. liii.-5. Our pain and death, are the appointed re- Saviour himself taught us the doctrine compense to those who violate this law of the atonement for sin by his death, Gen. iii. Rom. ii. 6, 16. Rom. i. 32.-2. Matt. xx. 28. John vi. 51. Luke xxii. All mankind have broken this law, 19-6. The terrors of soul, the conRom, iii. 23. Rom. v. 12.-3. God, in his sternation and inward agonies which infinite wisdom, did not think fit to par- our blessed Lord sustained a little bedon sinful man, without some compenfore his death, were a sufficient proof sation for his broken law; for, 1. If the that he endured punishments in his soul great Ruler of the world had pardoned which were due to sin, Mark xiv. 33. the sins of men without any satisfaction, Heb. v. 7.-7. This doctrine is declared, then his laws might have seemed not and confirmed, and explained at large, worth the vindicating.-2. Men would by the apostles in their writings, 1 Cor. have been tempted to persist in the re- xv. 3. Eph. i. 7. 1 John, ii. 2. &c. &c. bellion, and to repeat their old offences.-8. This was the doctrine that was -3. His forms of government among his creatures might have appeared as a matter of small importance.-4. God

witnessed to the world by the amazing gifts of the Holy Ghost, which attended the Gospel. [See the Acts of the Apos

essence of God; as Jehovah, Jah, &c. : relative ones are such as agree with him in time, with some respect to his creatures, as Creator, Governor, Preserver, Redeemer, &c But the more commonly received distinction of the attributes of God, is into communicable and incommunicable ones. The communicable ones are those of which there is some resemblance in men; as goodness, holiness, wisdom, &c.: the incommunicable ones are such as there is no appearance or shadow of in men; as independence, immutability, immensity, and eternity. See those different articles in this work; and Bates, Charnock, Abernethy, and Saurin on the Divine Perfections.

tles.] The inferences and uses to be derived from this doctrine are these: 1. How vain are all the labours and pretences of mankind to seek or hope for any better religion than that which is contained in the Gospel of Christ. It is here alone that we can find the solid and rational principle of reconciliation to an offended God, Heb. iv. 14.-2. How strange and unreasonable is the doctrine of the Popish church, who, while they profess to believe the religion of Christ, yet introduce many other methods of atonement for sin, besides the sufferings of the Son of God. [See above.]-3. Here is a solid foundation, on which the greatest of sinners may hope for acceptance with God, 1 Tim. i. 15.-4. This|| doctrine should be used as a powerful motive to excite repentance, Acts v. 31.-5. We should use this atonement of Christ as our constant way of access to God in all our prayers, Heb. x. 19, 22.-6. Also as a divine guard against sin, Rom. vi. 1, 2. 1 Pet. i. 15, 19.-7. As an argument of prevailing force to be used in prayer, Rom. viii. 32.-8. As a spring of love to God, and to his Son Jesus Christ, 1 John iv. 10.-9. As a strong persuasive to that love and pity which we should show on all occasions to our fellow creatures, 1 John iv. 11.10. It should excite patience and holy joy under afflictions and earthly sorrows, Rom. v. 1 to 3.-11. We should consider it as an invitation to the Lord's supper, where Christ is set forth to us in the memorials of his propitiation.12. As a most effectual defence against the terrors of dying, and as our joyful hope of a blessed resurrection, 1 Cor. xv. 50.-13. Lastly, as a divine allurement to the upper world." See Watt's AVARICE is an immoderate love to Sermons, ser. 34, 35, 36, 37; Evans on and desire after riches, attended with the Atonement ; Dr. Owen on the extreme diffidence of future events, Satisfaction of Christ; West's Scrip- making a person rob himself of the neture Doctrine of the Atonement; Her-cessary comforts of life, for fear of divey's Theron and Aspasio, dial. 3; Dr. Magee's Discourses on the Atonement; Jerram's Letters on ditto.

ATTRITION. The casuists of the church of Rome have made a distinction between a perfect and an imperfect contrition. The latter they call attrition; which is the lowest degree of repentance, or a sorrow for sin arising from a sense of shame, or any temporal inconvenience attending the commission of it, or merely from fear of the punishment due to it, without any resolution to sin no more: in consequence of which doctrine, they teach that, after a wicked and flagitious course of life, a man may be reconciled to God, and his sins forgiven on his death-bed, by confessing them to the priest with this imperfect degree of sorrow and repentance. This distinction was settled by the council of Trent. It might, however, be easily shown that the mere sorrow for sin because of its consequences, and not on account of its evil nature, is no more acceptable to God than hypocrisy itself can be.

minishing his riches. See COVETOUSNESS and MISER.

AVERSION, hatred or dislike.ATTRIBUTES OF GOD are the Dr. Watts and others oppose aversion several qualities or perfections of the to desire. When we look, say they, Divine nature. Some distinguish them upon an object as good, it excites desire; into the negative, and positive or affir- but when we look upon an object as mative. The negative are such as re-evil, it awakens what we call aversion move from him whatever is imperfect in creatures: such are infinity, immutability, immortality, &c. The positive are such as assert some perfection in God which is in and of himself, and which in the creatures, in any measure, is from him. This distinction is now mostly discarded. Some distinguish them into absolute and relative: absolute ones are such as agree with the

or avoidance. But Lord Kaims observes that aversion is opposed to affection, and not to desire. We have an affection to one person; we have an aversion to another: the former disposes us to do good, the latter to do ill.

AUDIENTES, an order of catechumens in the primitive Christian church. They were so called from their being admitted to hear sermons and the Scrip